The chronic abuse of alcohol can result in neuronal injury. This neuropathy often occurs in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. Symptoms generally include distal paresthesia, weakness, and pain. While the peripheral effects of alcoholic neuropathy can be disabling, the autonomic dysfunction sometimes proves fatal. Moreover, the outcome of this disease may be markedly improved by treatment. Recovering alcoholics suspected of having neuropathy should be encouraged to abstain. Many pathological mechanisms have been proposed for alcoholic neuropathy. While the disease could possibly result from the direct toxic effects of alcohol, nutritional deficiencies are more likely to be responsible. Only through additional research will such questions be answered.
Alcoholism is one of the most common causes of nervous system injury. Chronic consumption of ethanol can cause the development of neuronal damage both centrally and peripherally. In fact, in the Western hemisphere, alcoholic peripheral neuropathy is one of the most common forms of polyneuropathy. Most patients with this disease have a background involving two primary features: severe alcohol abuse extending over several years, and concomitant dietary deficiency. Typically, the disease occurs among individuals between the ages of 40 and 70 years. In addition, alcoholic neuropathy is about six times more common in males than in females.
Despite its widespread occurrence though, there seems to be conflicting information available regarding the disease's prevalence (Sosenko et al., 1991, p. 376). Scholz et al. (1986) observed signs of peripheral neuropathy in approximately 45% of alcoholic subjects. Yet another study, Victor and Adams (1953) analyzed 1030 hospitalized alcoholics and observed that only 9% exhibited polyneuropathy. Many of their subjects, however, were additionally found to be asymptomatic. It has been estimated that alcoholic neuropathy ma...